2A

The prohibition on landing contained in paragraph (1) above shall not apply to an animal brought into England from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man if it has been admitted into one of those countries or territories under legislation corresponding to the Pet Travel Scheme (Pilot Arrangements) (England) Order 1999 which ensures that—

a

the animal has been identified by means of a microchip implanted into its body;

b

after it has been microchipped, the animal has been vaccinated against rabies in a country or part of a country specified in Schedule 2 to the Pet Travel Scheme (Pilot Arrangements) (England) Order 1999 or in the British Islands or the Republic of Ireland after the age of three months by injection of an inactivated vaccine approved by the competent authority of the country in which the vaccination takes place;

c

the animal has had any necessary booster injections in a country or part of a country specified in Schedule 2 to the Pet Travel Scheme (Pilot Arrangements) (England) Order 1999 or in the British Islands or the Republic of Ireland at intervals specified by the manufacturer of the vaccine;

d

after it has been vaccinated against rabies, and at least six months before being brought into the country or territory in question, a blood sample was taken from the animal and tested for rabies antibodies using a virus neutralisation test at a recognised laboratory (that is, a laboratory recognised in writing by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food or the competent authority of the country or territory in question as being competent to carry out blood tests for the purposes of the legislation), with the result of that test demonstrating a protective antibody titre of at least 0.5 international units per millilitre. The six month period shall begin on the date that the sample was taken from the animal;

e

not less than 24 hours and not more than 48 hours before embarkation for the country or territory in question the animal has been treated by a veterinary surgeon entitled to practise veterinary medicine in the country in which the treatment is administered against Echinococcus multilocularis and ticks, using a veterinary medicine with a marketing authorisation in the country in which the medicine is administered and at an appropriate dosage; and in the case of treatment against Echinococcus multilocularis the medicine must contain praziquantel as the active ingredient. The treatment against ticks must not be by means of a collar impregnated with acaricide; and

f

the animal has not been outside the British Islands, the Republic of Ireland or the countries or territories in Part I of Schedule 2 to the Pet Travel Scheme (Pilot Arrangements) (England) Order 1999 (or, in the case of dogs assisting persons suffering from sensory impairment, those territories plus the countries in Part II of that Schedule) for the six month period immediately preceding the date it is brought into the country or territory in question.

2B

The requirement for a delay of six months between taking the blood sample for testing and the animal being brought into the country or territory in question in sub-paragraph (d) of paragraph (2A) above shall not apply in the case of an animal which was microchipped, vaccinated and blood sampled before 28th February 2000, and which, at the time the blood sample was taken, either had never left the British Islands or the Republic of Ireland, or had spent six months in quarantine in either the British Islands or the Republic of Ireland and had not subsequently left those countries, or had been brought into the British Islands or the Republic of Ireland under the provisions of Council Directive 92/65/EEC (laying down animal health requirements governing trade in and imports into the Community of animals, semen, ova and embryos not subject to animal health requirements laid down in specific Community rules referred to in Annex A(I) to Directive 90/425/EEC4) and had not subsequently left those countries.

7

The provisions of this article shall apply in relation to Norway in the same way as they apply in relation to member States.

3

The requirement to vaccinate against rabies in paragraph (1) above shall not apply in any case where the Minister is satisfied that the animal has been vaccinated and blood tested in accordance with the requirements of the Pet Travel Scheme (Pilot Arrangements) (England) Order 1999, and the period of cover of the vaccination has not expired.